September 3, 2009

Rays employee allegedly planted fake bomb

by ssavage

Florida police said an employee of the Tampa Bay Rays was arrested for allegedly planting a fake bomb at Tropicana Field as a practical joke.

The St. Petersburg Police Department said lawn maintenance workers at the ballpark discovered a suspicious device in a cabinet near Gate 2 at about 2:10 p.m. Wednesday, before a Rays game against the Boston Red Sox, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported Thursday.

Police were called to inspect the device, which officers described as a box that made a beeping sound and had wires sticking out.

Within a few minutes of getting the call, this guy came forward and said, 'I'm sorry,' police spokesman Bill Proffitt said. I can only speculate that he saw that everyone was taking this serious.

Police said William Jordan, 38, told officers the device was a hoax intended as a practical joke. The Tampa Bay Regional Bomb Squad examined the device to ensure it was fake and the incident was over in time for the gates to open as scheduled at 5:10 p.m.